Safety guard for electric switch



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Ja/m 302 020 14 United States Patent 3,170,050 AFETY GUARD FOR ELECTRIC SWITCH John Buturuga, 2201 Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn 10, N.Y. Filed July 17, 1961, Ser. No. 124,669

Claims. (Cl. 200-42) This invention relates to a safety guard and lock applicable to various types of electric switches. It is an improvement over my device disclosed in Patent Number 2,824,915, of February 25, 1958.

The device disclosed in Patent Number 2,824,915, prevents accidentalactuation of the switch by surrounding the switch with protective projections integral with the switch plate bracket. The projections are so formed that the switch can easily be operated although accidental actuation is greatly reduced.

The instant invention, to be disclosed herein in detailis an improved form wherein accidental actuation is positively prevented by a locking device in addition to the provision of protective projections. An adaptor is also provided which will convert a conventional switch plate bracket into a safety type bracket that cannot be accidentally actuated.

Consequently the primary object'of this invention is to provide a safety bracket for an electric switch which will both protect the switch from accidental contact and positively lock the switch in the on or ofi? position.

Another important object is to provide a removable bracket which can be mounted on a conventional switch bracket thereby converting the bracket into a safety device preventing both accidental contact and actuation of the switch.

Further objects and inventive features will become more apparent from the following detailed description, claims and appended drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of the safety guard bracket in its relationship to a conventional electric switch.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the guard bracket of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of the guard bracket of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a guard bracket adapted for mounting on a conventional switch plate.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a modified switch bracket adapted to accommodate two switches and a removable safety guard.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a removable type safety guard adapted for mounting on a bracket such as shown in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 6A is'a modification of the guard of FIG- URE 6. 1

FIGURE 7 is a perspective View of the locking device shown in FIGURES 6 and 6A.

FIGURE 8 is a side view of the bracket of FIGURE 4. I FIGURE 9 is a plan view of another modification of the bracket FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 10 is a partial sectional view taken along plane 10-10 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a bottom view of bracket parts shown in FIGURES 9 and 10.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the preferred embodiment of the invention is seen to comprise a bracket 10 mounted on a conventional switch plate 11 by means of screws 16 and 17. The bracket has a spherical projection 12 which generally surround and protect an aperture through which the toggle arm of a switch 15a projects and can reciprocate from the on to off position. A pair of latches 13 and 14 are provided each side of the aperture and project beyond the projection 12. The

3,170,050 Patented Feb. 16, 1965 r'r' we switch back to the Off position, the operator must press latch 14 away from aperture 15 and at the same time move the switch.

It is thus apparent that the construction shown in FIG- URES 1, 2 and 3, will prevent accidental contact with the switch due to projection 12 and actuation of the switch can only be accomplished by manually moving the appropriate latch from the aperture 15.

In FIGURES 4 and 8 a modification is shown wherein a bracket 18 of generally rectangular configuration is adapted for mounting on a switch plate 19, bracket 18 includes an aperture 20 for a switch and spring biased latches 21 and 22 which are prevented from excessive outward movement by abutments and 26. Screw holes 23 and 24 are provided to receive mounting screws. Bracket 18 operates in much the same manner as the device of FIGURE 1, except that it is rectangular in form and the projections are not spherical but merely a fiat plate as seen better in the elevation of FIGURE 8.

In FIGURE 5 a modified switch plate 27 is shown which provides two similar apertures to receive two switches holes 30, 31, 32 and 33 are provided to mount guard brackets such as 34 and 40 shown in FIGURES 6 and 6A.

Guard bracket 34 of FIGURE 6 includes spherical projections 35 and 36 which surround and protect the central switch aperture. Terminal flanges with screw holes 37 and 38 are provided to mount the bracket on a plate scuh as 27 of FIGURE 5 or a conventional bracket. A latch 39 mounted across the switch aperture on the projections 35 and 36 prevents accidental actuation of the switch. Latch 39 is biased in the guarding position by a spring arrangement as better seen in FIGURE 7 wherein a similar latch 47 with legs 48 and 49 is attached to a flat spring 52 at its end 50 and 51. The spring is aflixed at one end to the bracket at 52a. Thus the latch can be lifted away from the bracket against the action of the spring until there is enough clearance to actuate the snaps back against the bracket projections blocking actuation of the switch.

The bracket of FIGURE 6A includes spherical projections 41 and 42 on either side of an aperture 46 and latch similar to the latch of FIGURE 7. All the foregoing being similar to FIGURE 6. The difierence is in the end tabs 43 and 44 which can be inserted in complementary slots in the switch plate for convenient mountmg.

In FIGURES 9, 10 and 11 another form of the invention is disclosed which provides a switch plate 54 with flat projections 55 and 56 upon which latches 57 and 58 are pivotally mounted. The latches are biased towards a switch aperture 60 through which a switch 59 projects. Screws 61 and 62 are used to mount the plate 54 on a wall. The inner ends of the latches are stopped at approximately 45 degrees for a more effective locking action when engaged by the switch. Each of the latches is attached at 63 to a spring 65 (FIGURE 11) which is fixed to the bracket by rivet 64. The attachment 63 reciprocates in a slot and thereby spring 65 forces the latch toward the aperture for engagement with the switch.

The modification of FIGURE 9 is an integral assembly which is applicable to new installations requiring a safety switch guard. Whereas, the other figures are used to adapt an existing switch plate with this safety feature.

It is now apparent that the above described embodiments will prevent accidental contact or actuation and are especially suitable for electrical installations which cannot afford an improper actuation. Despite the positive protection provided by this invention, it is also clear that authorized and proper actuation is easily had.

A grant of Letter Patent is hereby requested for the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim as follows:

1. A safety bracket adapted to be mounted over a double throw electrical switch having a toggle arm having two positions corresponding to On and Off respectively, said bracket comprising a plate with a central aperture through which toggle arm extends, said plate having projections on opposite sides of the aperture and latches spring mounted in the projections and said latch biased to a position blocking accidental movement of the toggle arm from the particular one of said two positions in which the arm is in, said latches being movable to posi tions clearing said aperture and said projections protecting the aperture and arm, said latches and said arm cooperating in a manner whereby the arm must be moved manually at the same time the appropriate latch must be released manually in order to permit the arm to be moved from one position to the other.

2. A safety bracket as in claim 1 wherein the projections are of spherical contour.

3. A safety bracket as in claim 1, wherein the projections are rectangular in shape and the latches are mounted thereon.

4. A safety bracket as in claim 1 wherein the bracket is adapted with means for being mounted on a switch plate.

5. A bracket as in claim 1 wherein the latches have end surfaces inclined relative to the surface of the switch.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Acting Primary Examiner.

WALTER STOLWEIN, BERNARD A. GILI-IEANY,

Examiners. 

1. A SAFETY BRACKET ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED OVER A DOUBLE THROW ELECTRICAL SWITCH HAVING A TOGGLE ARM HAVING TWO POSITIONS CORRESPONDING TO ON AND OFF RESPECTIVELY, SAID BRACKET COMPRISING A PLATE WITH A CENTRAL APERTURE THROUGH WHICH TOGGLE ARM EXTENDS, SAID PLATE HAVING PROJECTIONS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE APERTURE AND LATCHES SPRING MOUNTED IN THE PROJECTIONS AND SAID LATCH BIASED TO A POSITION BLOCKING ACCIDENTAL MOVEMENT OF THE TOGGLE ARM FROM THE PARTICULAR ONE OF SAID TWO POSITIONS IN WHICH THE ARM IS IN, SAID LATCHES BEING MOVABLE TO POSITIONS CLEARING SAID APERTURE AND SAID PROJECTIONS PROTECTING THE APERTURE AND ARM, SAID LATCHES AND SAID ARM COOPERAT- 